Deadly Lullaby
by bydreamsandnightmares
Summary: It all started the very same night of her friends' departure to the Underrealm. The house, the woman, the fire, the lullaby… Musa can't shake off the feeling of being watched all the time, her constant nightmares are no help at all. Will she succumb to the voices or wake up for once and for all?
1. A Too Much Vivid Dream

_A/N: Hi! Thanks for stopping by and reading this story. It's not the first fanfic I've written, but it is the first one in this category, so bear with me, please. I'll learn, eventually._

 _I'm a huge fan of The Winx Club, specially of Musa and Riven. I based this fic on Season 2, while Bloom, Stella and Layla are on the rescue mission to save the pixies._

 _I don't remember how long the mission was or when Musa and Riven hugged, so let's say that they had their moment two days after they left._

 _Don't forget to review, and if you find any grammar that needs to be fixed, please do tell._

 _Enjoy :)_

 **Disclaimer** _: I do not own Winx Club, Iginio Straffi has that pleasure._

* * *

 **DEADLY LULLABY**

 **by _bydreamsandnightmares_**

 **Chapter 1 ― A Too Much Vivid Dream**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Musa wasn't the type of girl who worried about little, insignificant things. She didn't care about her hair, clothes or even other's opinions on her beliefs and likings. In fact, she considered herself a nonchalantly person, but sadly that didn't stop her from worrying about her friends.

Clearly, her friends weren't on the same level as her clothes, and indeed, she _had_ a reason to be worried.

They were talking about the Underrealm, for goodness sake!

Who knew what kind of adversity laid there?

She wouldn't, that was for sure. The stinging sensation of being left behind still weighted on her like a sharp thorn etched on her pale skin. She felt useless in here; trapped, doing nothing more than waiting for their comeback and hoping everything turned out okay. She needed action, and all this waiting and wandering was getting on her nerves. As much as Musa knew it wasn't entirely her fault ―her powers were too dangerous down there, and they couldn't have afforded getting buried under the rocks if by chance she ended up blasting one of her attacks― and that her presence was much required here in Alfea, she would have killed to go with them and kick some ass.

Now she was left to wonder hopelessly around the grounds of the school about said mission and how were they doing, and that was something she dreaded. Musa never imagined how long a day could be when you got nothing else to do than _wait_. She even contemplated dying of boredom at some point during the day, so it was very clear to her that she needed a distraction. And quickly.

For an instant, her mind flashed her the image of a certain magenta-haired hero, but that was easily discarded. She needed another distraction, one where she didn't need to embarrass herself. After her unintentional -and awkward-meltdown that morning, she doubted Riven would want to spend time alone with her. No that she minded, she still couldn't wrap her head around her sensitive-and-hormonal conducted past actions. Just thinking about it made her cheeks blush and her pulse race. Not that Musa would admit it to somebody, but the feeling of his strong and muscular arms around her petite frame had been enough to send her over the edge along with his surprised face to the intrusion.

She thought that he had looked cute, and after spending some time pondering about the situation, she decided that she wasn't ready to see him yet. The girl needed some space.

That would probably benefit both of them.

Riven still couldn't get rid of the unknown feeling he had got when his arms embraced the musical fairy. He was confused and needed time to figure out what he really wanted. And to do that, he needed time for himself.

But back to the point, Musa and the girls didn't hear their usual update from the mission today, something that didn't get pass Tecna, who had spent the entire day locked in her room trying to contact them but failed to no avail, hence why Musa was concerned.

 _Had something happened to them?_

 _Were they in trouble?_

 _Did they need help?_

All this incessant worry couldn't be healthy.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Flora's gentle voice echoed around her room.

Musa's navy eyes landed upon her friend. She was already wearing her night clothes, ready to go to bed, and was holding a cup of what she suspected that was green tea. Flora relied on them in restless moments like this to fall asleep. Pausing her music player, Musa struggled to find the proper words.

"Yeah, just… Thinking, you know? I can't help but feel useless now." She tried to master up a small smile, but realized that it probably looked more like a grimace.

Still, if that was the case, Flora didn't show any signs of discomfort.

The flower fairy sat down on the edge of her piano-shaped bed and offered her a cup of what she was drinking. Musa declined it with a shake of her head. She wasn't an enthusiastic fan of green beverages.

"At this point, I think we all do. But we need to be strong and think in positive. For them. They're probably worried enough on their own, we don't need to put that weight on their shoulders right now." She calmly said.

As always, Musa was fascinated with Flora's ability to see the light in the darkest moments, and couldn't help but wish to be like her in that aspect.

"You're probably right." She mused half-way through a yawn. "I should probably go to sleep now. Thank, Flo. You always know what to say."

With a smile of her own, Flora got up and wished her and Tecna good night before closing their dorm door.

Musa got up too, stretching her arms above her head, and searched for some comfortable clothes to sleep. She rummaged through her drawers until she settled for an old, over-sized, grey t-shirt of some punk band and her usual white cotton shorts.

"Are you planning on spending the night glued to the screen, Tec?" She inquired while combing her long, midnight-blue locks. "Because if that's your deal I should probably get you some coffee before you pass out on the table."

Tecna turned around on her chair with a tired smile. Her friend was right, she should probably go to sleep, but the need to know if her friends were okay was stronger than the alluring sight of her bed.

"I'm fine, Musa. I'll probably stay up a little longer before calling it a night. Timmy and I are so close to finding a way to contact them that we can't just give up now." Her excitement was attached to every word, something that made Musa smile.

"Timmy?"

"Oh, yeah. We're… We're texting each other right now. He's helping me with this since we don't have nothing better to do." The blush in her cheeks was evident under de lights, and Musa decided to save the teasing for tomorrow morning.

"Sure thing, Tec." She winked at her friend, making her blush deepen. "Have fun talking to Timmy. But not too much. And don't forget to sleep."

"Whatever, Musa. Good night." Tecna dismissed the girl with the wave of her hand and turned her attention to the flashing screen.

Humming to herself, the musical fairy plopped down on her soft bed and let the sound of Tecna's constantly typing lure her to sleep, not knowing what was waiting for her on the other side of her dreams.

* * *

Just like two days ago, she found herself in a pretty, old-styled farm house in the middle of the forest.

The warm sunrays kissed her exposed arms in a soft caress, making her pouty lips curve in a small smile. The white sundress she was wearing waved at the end due to the spring breeze. She didn't know where she was, nor she cared, Musa was at ease and that's what mattered to her.

At worst, this was a dream, so she could wake up if she wanted to.

Suddenly, she wasn't outside anymore. Instead, she was in a small room with pastel walls, soft cushions and baby toys. A woman was rocking a baby in her crib and the sight made her heart ache a little. The scene reminded her of her mom.

Said woman was with her back to her, so Musa couldn't see her face. The baby in her arms started wailing and whimpering in the arms of her mother, so the elderly woman started humming a lullaby.

In the back of her mind, Musa recognized that song, but couldn't place it nowhere, so she opted for watching the unfolding scene.

The melody seemed to have had an effect on the infant, because she quieted down.

Musa smiled warmly at the loving bond that both had.

The scene changed again, but this time, she felt something dark creeping up. The room started spinning in fast circles, not lending her the chance to grab onto something for support. Musa fell to the ground while the room grew darker and darker and spun faster and faster. The baby screams etched in her mind, ringing louder by each passing second.

The world stopped spinning, and now, Musa was trapped between the four burning walls. That's right, the house was burning down. Smoke filled up in her lungs and made her eyes water. She tried to put one of her arms under her nose to stop herself from inhaling more, but it didn't work. She was paralyzed, fixed to the ground and watching desperately how the mother couldn't reach her beloved child. Musa coughed until her throat hurt from all that futile smoke and tried to wake up. She tried and tried with all her strength, but her feet remained glued to the carpeted ground.

The flames grew bigger, licking and lapping at everything they found. The little girl was still crying, moving her tiny arms in help. The woman let out a sob as she saw herself consumed by the fire.

"No!" Musa managed to choke through the pain in her lungs.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing; living. She needed to do something.

The woman vanished, and instead, an old creature with sagged, wrinkly and torn clothes appeared before her eyes. Her skin was of a grey color that reminded Musa of ashes, and her hair was now the same color as her skin. The baby stopped crying, and Musa watched in disbelief how the creature passed through the fire without burning.

Truth be told, this dream was giving her the creeps, and she wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was _damn_ scared. The old hag looked deadly enough to hurt her if she attempted to move, and being paralyzed in the same spot without no use of her powers made her wary of her.

She tried waking herself up, closed her eyes and even sung a song, but the dream wouldn't fade. Sweat was forming up on her forehead and her pulse started increasing.

 _Why the hell couldn't she wake up?_

The old hag arrived at the girl's crib and tried to grab the little thing. The baby started thrashing around, not wanting to be picked up.

Musa couldn't bear the sight, so she did the only thing she was able to do.

Scream.

"Don't touch her! Get away from her!" She roared with all her strength.

As if hearing her, the creature flew too fast for Musa's liking to where she was standing. Having her face to face, the fairy couldn't help but gasp when she stared at those soulless, smoldering red eyes who looked at her with great fury.

One of the ghostly grey hands ended up on her blue locks, caressing them like they were something precious.

By now, Musa was trembling with fear. This felt too much. Too physical. _Too real._

The hand reached lower, going to caress her pale and soft face, but luckily, she didn't have time.

Musa woke up in a cold sweat.


	2. Back To Reality And Out Again

_A/N: Hi again! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It may seem a bit slow, but soon enough action will play its part. Happy reading!_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, Iginio Straffi does

* * *

 **Chapter 2 ― Back To Reality And Out Again**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, blood rushing to her temples. She didn't know what happened, but was glad it was over. Slowly and almost unsure, Musa placed one hand on her forehead and wiped out the sweat that had accumulated there during her dream.

 _Or should she call it nightmare?_

She couldn't tell, her body still trembled slightly from the shock of waking up so suddenly. That, and the feeling of still being consumed by the flames. Her breathing was ragged and came out in deep pants, almost as if she was still suffocating, and her skin burned at the contact of the bed-sheets.

She needed air.

Not wanting to wake her friend up, Musa looked over at her alarm clock and sighed when she saw it was four in the morning. She had only slept for three hours, and sleepiness was catching up to her again.

Knowing she wouldn't fall asleep unless she cooled down, she padded softly to the adjacent bathroom both fairies shared and turned on the lights. Nothing was misplaced and everything looked in order.

Not that she expected something else, nobody could enter Alfea once the barrier was on, and she knew Tecna never woke up during sleep.

It was just her.

She opened the tap and splashed some water on her face, relieved at the refreshing feeling the coolness brought her. She also rubbed her wet and cold hand on her shoulders and arms, trying to cool down completely. Musa suppressed a gasp when she noticed the hair on her neck stand up slightly.

 _What was that for?_ Musa thought alarmed.

Inhaling rather loudly, she concentrated on her hearing, trying to find something out of place and coming back empty-handed. The only sound her sonar-ears could register was the deafening silence that night carried with her.

"Then, why the hell am I so tense?" She muttered irritated.

She was sleepy, tired and right down grumpy. Normally, Musa wouldn't even think twice about her weird dreams, so she couldn't comprehend all this trouble for getting back to sleep again.

Walking back to her bed, she noticed something was off. Chills ran up her arms and something in the back of her mind told her to look out. Musa adjusted her deep, navy blue eyes to the pitch-black darkness that covered her room. She couldn't see anything. Turning her head to the side, she watched carefully the curtains that were draped on her windows and waited for something. Anything. But nothing happened.

A frustrated sigh escaped the fairy's lips at her attempts for trying to see something that wasn't even there; why the tell was she so adamant with this?

She blamed it on her boredom, though. And the fact that she couldn't get herself to sleep right away as she would have liked.

Shaking her head, the young woman decided to return to the confines of her bed before the sun could rise. But still, that odd feeling remained within her, and just seconds before her eyes drifted closed again, she could have sworn that something had moved in between the curtains.

* * *

"Have you not slept well? You seemed tired." The nature fairy inquired worriedly.

With her long chestnut hair neatly brushed and another cup of tea on her hands, Flora looked ready for the day. Musa, whose eyes were closing after three hours of being awake and yawning half of the time, looked ready for a nap.

Nobody could blame her, though. After waking up in the middle of the night, Musa had found it impossible to fall asleep again. She had turned around in her bed, trying to find a comfortable position and shutting her eyes tightly so sleep would come, but instead stayed wide awake and alert at her surroundings.

"Not really, Flo. I had a restless night but that's all. I just need to catch up on my sleep." Musa told her truthfully.

Sleep was just what she needed, and she planned on getting it as soon as she was alone.

"That would do you some good. I was going to leave now, anyways, so you can nap while I'm out. Helia needed my help with something, but I wanted to check up on you first. Make sure you rest, okay?"

Musa rolled her eyes jokingly and side-hugged her friend quickly. She was glad to have friends like Flora in her life, but she didn't need to be treated like a child.

"Yes _, mom_. Now go and don't make Helia wait more than what's needed. The boy will probably come looking for you at any second now, and I don't want anybody seeing me like this." The girl scrunched up her nose in disgust at her sweaty clothes and knotted hair.

She could use a shower, too.

"Don't talk about him that way. You'd think we're dating by how you describe it." The dark-skinned fairy sputtered scandalized.

"Oh, come on, Flo. Don't tell me you're not head over heels for our _dear_ Helia?" Teased Musa with a smirk.

A deep crimson blush covered her cheeks at the mention of her not-so-secret-crush. It was clear as the day itself how much one pinned for the other yet they were so oblivious that it wasn't even funny. Musa was always up for some teasing, so she didn't miss her chance. It was just too damn funny to let it go.

"Well, I-I…" The girl tried to find the proper words to explain how she was feeling, but found none.

"You _nothing_ , Flora. Ask him out already!" The blue haired fairy exclaimed.

"Why don't you do the same with Riven, then?" Flora asked with fake innocence. That shut Musa up pretty quickly. A small smile played on her lips. "Not so funny when the tables turn, huh?"

"But that's completely different!" She defended outraged.

How could you compare a kind-hearted, charming, gentle and calm person like Helia to someone as rude, bad-tempered, aggressive and arrogant as Riven? There was no in between. Plus, Helia was totally into Flora. Riven couldn't direct Musa more than two grunts.

"No, it's not. You both are just too stubborn to admit something to anyone, but you can't fool me, sweetie. I know how you feel about him. And I'm sure Riven would love to hear what you've got to say." She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

In fact, if someone knew something about the odd pair, it was definitely her. She _had_ seen them ―arguing more than talking, but still, the way they managed to be in their own little bubble while doing so was enough proof to her. She was one of the few people who supported Riven and saw him as a friend, so it was no wonder why she had faith in him. Yes, she knew the boy could be as pigheaded as her musical friend, and that _that_ didn't exactly help in the developing of their relationship, but it was their way to say that they cared. She was sure of Riven's feelings for Musa, the boy just needed some time think, her as well, and a little push in the right direction could be used. Right?

"It doesn't go like that, Flora. You and Helia are-" She was cut mid-way by a male voice calling out a name down the hallway.

"Flora? Are you in there?" Helia's voice brought Flora's blush back and with a small farewell, she left Musa alone with her thoughts.

"I'll see you later." She replied before her friend could close the door.

Now lonely in the big space that was her bedroom, the musical fairy changed clothes and tried to fall into the land of dreams again. Not without making sure the sun rays entered her room and the door was unlocked first.

* * *

The same farm house appeared in front of her eyes, but this time the sky was covered in heavy clouds and striking thunders that made her shiver in advanced fear.

Swallowing hard, Musa counted to three before mastering up the courage to enter the already open living area. The wooden floor crunched beneath her light steps, and some dust fell from above onto her face. Her big eyes wandered around the four walls and she suppressed a sigh when she discovered everything was burned from the fire. The paints, pictures, furniture… Everything was reduced to ashes and dust, the unpleasant smell carved into the house.

She entered further and turned left, where a big dinner table enabled for at least twelve people laid torn in half and completely scorched. There were no signs of the chairs, and opted not to enter the kitchen. Instead, she went right and found herself in the living room, where a giant piano stood completely polished and varnished, like it was a newly purchased piece of furniture; which was a dark contrast compared to everything else.

Her mind was really playing tricks on her.

Trying not to move too harshly, she continued her little exploring game until she came across a staircase. She weighted the pros and cons of going upstairs, and decided to give it a try.

Despite what she may feel in here, she was still in a dream, and _would_ eventually wake up. Or that's what she hoped.

Placing carefully one of her hands on the railing, she started walking up to the second floor of the fragile house, silently praying for no big encounters with old hags this time.

The hallway wasn't illuminated, and everything else was extinguished or reduced to ashes, something that creeped Musa more than anything. What was she doing here if there was nothing worth visiting?

Feeling bolder than expected, she turned the only knob that wasn't burnt open and entered the small bedroom. Just as before, the walls were painted in a soft pastel color that matched perfectly with the white curtains that hung low on the window placed before her. They were closed, but some sunlight filtered through the glass, giving the room a cozier look.

 _Wait. Sunlight? How's that possible?_

Musa was confused, no less than five minutes ago the clouds were ready to pour down one heck of a rainstorm, and now the sun was shining? Her mind was racing fiercely.

She looked around. Baby toys laid scattered around the carpeted floor as well as cushions and teddy bears.

"Why isn't this place burnt down too?" She whispered alarmed. Was this some kind of twisted joke or had her mind gone nuts?

Suddenly, she heard the little girl's cries and sobs. Her stomach twisted in response of what was going to happen now. She waited for the fire, the screams and the woman, but that never came. In fact, the baby was much happier now, laughing in the arms of her mother.

Musa watched the scene unfold confused. What has changed since last night?

The two of them, oblivious to the fairy's presence, continued playing together until Musa had enough. She wanted answers and wanted them now.

Walking confident to the woman, who still had her back turned to her, she tapped lightly on her shoulder, trying to catch her attention.

"Excuse me," She had started rather politely. "Could you tell me why―" Her question was left unanswered, because as soon as those words left her lips, the room started spinning again.

It spun and spun, not giving her the time to hold herself upright. Musa closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see again the whole transformation of the woman. She would much rather keep her sanity with her for a little longer. Her heart beat rapid and furiously against her ribcage, something she had little control over at the moment, and silently wished for the fire to pass quickly.

But today seemed to be the exception's day.

The fire didn't reach the room, and the woman didn't bother with the baby; instead, it launched itself to Musa with its arms stretched open and ready to hold her in a deathly grip.

The girl's mouth parted in a silent scream, and watched in horror how the ground beneath her crumbled down and opened, making her fall to the depths of darkness that was waiting below. Eyes still closed and with a frantic heartbeat, she felt her body hit something hard before noticing that tight ropes had made their way around her whole frame, keeping her glued to the chair she seemed to be sat.

A screeching noise made her open her fearful, navy eyes who looked around the room anxiously. She relaxed a little when she saw that she still _was_ in the house; the living room, to be more precise. Her hands flexed on her lap and her heart couldn't have beat faster than now, but the stone-cold look on her face remained unbending.

If she was going down, she would do it with dignity. Musa wasn't going to show that creature how afraid she actually was.

The old hag, who looked too engrossed on the piano to see what the girl was actually doing, started playing some familiar melody.

The notes flowed easily from her ghostly fingers, and the tune sounded familiar in Musa's ears. She had heard it before, she was sure of that. But where?

She racked her mind for answers, until the truth hit her square in the chest.

"That's what the woman was singing to the baby…" Musa uttered in plain shock. "She's playing the lullaby."

 _And now I'm forced to hear it 'til I wake the hell up._ _Just great._

With every syllable the ghost sang, the quicker the words ended up embed on her brain, and the musical fairy didn't like it one bit.

"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up." She whispered those two words over and over again, shutting her eyes and concentrating on her mission. She didn't want to hear the stupid song. She didn't want to stay here. "I want to wake up!"

The scream brought her back to her conscious state, and sitting abruptly in the mess of her bed, Musa couldn't help but feel shaken up by the fact that the lullaby was still replaying vividly in her head.


	3. The Woman In Black

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, Iginio Straffi does_

 _Happy reading! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter 3 ― The Woman In Black**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The rest of the day passed in a hazy and dizzy blur. Musa couldn't wrap her head around what was happening to her.

First the fire and now the lullaby? Something had to be _really_ wrong with her.

At first, she was sure the never-fading feeling of being watched was just a product of her own imagination and boredom, a trick her mind had created for her while she waited for their friend's arrival with the pixies. But now… Now it had to be something else.

It wasn't like her to feel like this. Not at all.

And then, there was the stupid melody that seemed to be inked on her mind. She couldn't forget it, even if she tried; and boy, did she try. At noon, she had sneaked to the potion lab and experimented with seven different potions that could make her forget everything to do with the house and the song. But as she so much feared, it didn't work. If so, the lullaby stuck with her with bigger intensity than before.

The only thing she got while doing so was avoiding Flora and Tecna; she knew both fairies would be able to see that there was something troubling her, and until Musa didn't figure herself out, she couldn't explain to others what she had to endure.

As Tecna would've put it, it was illogical explaining what you didn't understand yourself.

When the next day rolled up and Musa wasn't near of getting some proper sleep, she decided that enough was enough.

Clearly, the creepy woman wanted something from her. The fairy didn't know _what_ exactly, since said woman went ballistic on her whenever Musa tried to approach the hag coolly.

 _Perhaps she was waiting for some action on my part?_ The girl pondered while walking to Alfea's library. _Well, if that's the problem next time I see her I'm gonna blast her so hard she'll regret bothering me._

Content with her thoughts, the musical fairy opened the heavy library's door and walked inside. As every time she came here to finish some report or delayed homework, the place was dead silence, with only a few people on the tables besides the working staff. For a girl who sure loved music and crowded clubs, Musa found enjoyable her time down here. She wasn't bothered and could actually get something done. So, with an encouraging sigh, she walked up to the counter and got ready for her investigation.

* * *

 _Maybe I should've thought about it before coming here._

Musa nibbled on her lower lip while explaining the librarian what kind of book she needed, her foot tapping lightly against the floor in a new beat.

 _Do I even need a book?_

"I'm sorry dear, that kind of information should be on the local library, not here." The elderly woman looked at her through her glasses and offered a small smile. "Maybe you could look for something more… Historical?"

Musa nodded at the lady and watched as she retreated to the back of the library in search of her dear book, then sighed as she realized the research would be more complicated than expected.

She had asked her for any book or newspaper that talked about arsons or fires in the nearby zones, but came out without results. Just as she predicted. The librarian, then, had asked her the description of the woman whom she wanted information, and after thinking about it, a thought popped in her mind. In her dreams, the woman had been dressed in luxurious clothes and jewels, and even though she never got to see her face, the rings and bracelets she wore on her hands were prove of her wealth. That, and the fact the lady owned a two-story farm-house with a countryside, were proofs valid enough.

The librarian came back with a hard-cover, red-velveted book in her arms. It was thick, and looked dog-eared. Musa watched it curiously before carrying it on her arms.

"This book contains an incredibly and detailed explanation of Magix' wealthiest families over the past century along with their respective family trees and historical information." The old woman stated proudly. "I hope it helps you in your search."

Musa beamed at her.

"More than you'll ever know."

After thanking the woman, she secluded herself in a table far away from the others and started looking for some real answers.

* * *

Two hours had passed since she arrived, the girl wasn't even half-way through the book and her eyes were already closing.

Okay, it wasn't her fault she couldn't sleep at night but it pissed her off not being able to stay awake either.

Groaning in frustration, Musa stretched her arms over her head and took a deep breath. In the time of two hours, she had learnt about two whole dynasties that married for a greater goal and then died in an accident without future heirs.

"What a tragic, shitty ending" The girl muttered under her breath.

At first, the accident caught her attention, but after reading that the whole fiasco happened more than eighty years ago made her stop.

She didn't exactly know how old the woman was or for how long she lived, by her dreams, she would say at mid-forties, but even so the year was still hard to get.

To get through that she decided to trust her instincts, and right now they were telling her to get some food down her stomach. So that's what she did. The fairy walked to the cafeteria, which was almost empty, and grabbed some snacks along with coffee before returning to her safe place.

Sitting down on the chair again, Musa opted for trying something new. She placed the book in front of her, and with her eyes closed, opened it on some random page.

A smile grew on her lips when she realized what she had done. On the first page was the image of a woman in her early forties with dark auburn hair braided at the top of her hair in a small bun. Her eyes were crystal blue and seemed to be in a deep trance and the expression on her small face screamed serenity in every way. The next page didn't show any family trees but a great summary of her life instead.

Musa read it eagerly while she traced the woman's name at the top of the page. _Christine Haworth_. The name didn't ring a bell to the girl, so she couldn't understand why her ghost had decided to ruin her nights.

Apparently, Christine had belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Magix before her parents deserted her for marrying a commoner whose name wasn't known. Once the couple married and fled somewhere far away from her family, he died in work accident, leaving Christine widowed and without any way to support her or the baby. Yes, she had been pregnant when that happened. The woman returned to Magix and asked her parents for financial help, and when they refused, she married someone who could provide her a stable and committed relationship. One month later, the man died under unknown circumstances and Christine inherited all his wealth. Some people blamed the woman for her husband's death but the police never found enough proof to arrest her. When she gave birth to her baby girl, she hid herself and the baby in an old farm-house that was property of Christine's family. A week later both died in a fatidic fire where there were no survivors.

Musa's breath caught in her throat when she read the last part. As much as she despised the woman, she pitied Christine for the life she was obligated to live. She only wanted to be with her loved ones, and in the end died for it.

"But still… What does this have to do with me? I never met her." The fairy grumbled confused.

She kept on reading until she neared the end of the page.

Christine also won herself the name of _The Woman in Black_ when she started dressing in black clothes after her husbands' deaths.

"Interesting…" Musa mused to herself before closing the book and standing up. "Looks like a little trip to the Magix Local Library is needed now."

* * *

Making sure nobody was watching her, she put on her black hoodie and started walking to the gates of Alfea, ready to catch the bus that would leave her in Magix.

She was almost at the door when somebody's deep and husky voice stopped her.

"Where are you going, pixie?" The smirk was evident in his voice and Musa's heart couldn't help but skip a beat at the sound of it.

 _So much for needing time._

"It's fairy. And I'm going out." She said as collected as possible. She knew that if she snapped, he would know something was up, and Musa didn't want to drag anybody into this mess.

"I can see that." Riven turned her around and looked onto the deep blue eyes he had come to like so much. "What I meant was why aren't you moping around like the others?"

Musa stared at his curious but guarded magenta eyes and sighed.

"They chose _them_. Not _us_. They're the ones who had the chance, and as much as I want to stay here and worry about it, I've got things to do." Riven bit out the grin that wanted to make its way to his face. _I knew there was a reason why I liked her more than the others._ If he had any doubts before, now everything was clear to him. There were so many similarities between them that it was enough to scare Riven more than anything. Hell, even their thoughts worked the same. Taking his silence as a sign to go, the fairy separated from the specialist and proceeded to walk away. "Now, if you'll excuse me I―"

Riven's hand shot out to grab her forearm, making her stop twice in less than five minutes.

"Not so fast, _fairy_." Musa wasn't used to have him stand so close to her and his mere smell was enough to give her chills down her spine. She hated the effect he had on her but it was something she couldn't control. "You still haven't answered my question. _Where_ are you going?"

He watched the girl shift her weight to the other foot before biting her lower lip. _Damn_. What he would give for being the one to do that. Meanwhile, Musa was debating whether if she should tell him or not. She knew he was able to pick up on her lies, so lying was pointless.

"To Magix's Local Library."

"Why the hell would you want to go somewhere so boring?" Riven frowned at the sound of library. He couldn't remember the last time he entered one.

"You know, some people like to work on their homework thoroughly to get a good mark." Musa teased with a smirk of her own.

"When did you decide to become an exemplar student? Last time I checked, you didn't even bother with assistance."

A slight blush covered her cheeks at the mention of her midnight sneak-outs from last year. She thought nobody knew about them. How had he known?

Her lips parted opened in the attempt of defending herself as Riven watched amused how easy it was to annoy the blue-haired fairy.

"That's beside the point." Musa grumbled embarrassed. "And for your information, I'm at the top of my class!"

"Sure thing…" He mocked.

"Well, seeing as you don't have anything more to say, I'll go now." With her arms now crossed she marched up to the gates.

"Wait! I'm coming with you." His voice made her stop again.

"What?" Was he messing with her? Because if that was the case she didn't have time.

"Are you deaf?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "I said I'm coming too."

"You want to come with me? To a library?" He nodded. "Why?"

"You said it yourself. I'm tired of hearing them worry over Brandon and the others, they'll come back. All that moping around won't do them no good." He explained exasperated. "Besides, where's the fun in annoying you if you aren't going to be there?"

Musa shook her head and shrugged.

"It's your choice. I'm not going to stop you."

 _Plus, some time alone with him wouldn't hurt anyone._

"You couldn't even if you tried." He replied smirking. "Come on, we'll go faster in my bike."

Musa followed him to his leva bike and grinned inwardly. After what happened between them two days ago, she thought things would be back to plain uncomfortable, but instead found herself wrapping her arms around his broad back in a trip to the library. Not very exciting, but still they managed to get through a conversation without arguing and awkward silences. The fact that neither of them brought up that incident reassured Musa enough.

The engine roared to life and as they got further and further from Alfea, Riven basked in the feeling of having Musa glued to him with her small hands squeezing his lower back and her head pressed against his shoulder blades, also praying that the musical fairy couldn't feel his frantic pulse through his shirt.

* * *

"Can we leave now?" Complained the magenta hero for the seventh time in three hours. When she had told him she needed to finish some delayed essay he never expected it to be so damn long. If he had known, Riven would have stayed behind. The fairy didn't even glance at him during that time.

"For the last time, no. I'm not finished." She snapped while writing something down on her notebook. "I told you you'd get bored in here."

Musa didn't need to look up at him to know he wasn't amused by her answer. But she _had_ told him, it wasn't her fault that he now regretted coming.

"And tell me again, why can't I just leave?"

"Because you're my ride back to Alfea and it was _your_ idea coming here with _your_ bike. So you're gonna have to wait a little more." She answered with a roll of her eyes.

"You said that one hour ago." He pointed out grumpily.

"Well, if you had helped me instead of complaining all the freaking time I'd be finished by now." She fixed her stare in his magenta eyes and waited for an answer.

"Fine." He grunted before getting up. "I'll help you."

Riven walked to one of the laptops that were available for the clients as Musa trailed behind him, curious as to what he was planning to do. Sitting down in front of the device, the fairy told him what she was looking for and before he typed it down on the local news' web.

Thousands of links connected to arsons and fires appeared on the screen. Musa sighed, there was still loads of work to do.

Her eyes scanned quickly some of the headlines until one perked up her interest.

"Click on this one." She told Riven while pointing it with her finger.

"Why do you need to know about fires and burned houses, anyways?"

"I told you, it's part of the homework." She was surprised by how smoothly the lie escaped her lips, it wasn't usually like this.

"Whatever. Here says that a fire burnt a whole farm-house down about seventeen years ago. A woman died with her newly born daughter in the fire and…" While Riven read out loud the police report, something in Musa's mind clicked.

"Is there a concrete date?" She interrupted excitedly with a hand on his shoulder for leverage.

A chill made its way through Riven's body at the contact.

"Yeah. May 30th." He answered curtly, hoping she wouldn't notice his change demeanor.

"Wait," She gasped, comprehending how important the day was. "That's my birthday. And you say the house burnt seventeen years ago?"

"That's what it says." He shrugged, not paying attention at what the fairy was inquiring.

"So, the very same day the woman died with her daughter was the exact day I was born?" Her heartbeat increased at the realization.

Was that the reason she was after her?

"Looks like it."

"Fascinating." She muttered while writing it down on her notebook. Looks like _Christine_ had some explaining to do. "Does it say something about the house?"

"What's left of it remains at the outskirts of Magix, almost entering the forest." He pointed at the photo that some journalist had made the day it happened and saw that there was nothing left of it but black ashes and burnt wood. "Why?"

A smile crept on Musa's lips, making him wonder why he decided to come in the first place.

"Because it's time to pay the house a visit."


	4. Trapped Between Four Walls

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, Iginio Straffi does_

 _Thanks for reading! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter 4 ― Trapped Between Four Walls**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Tell me again, why was it necessary for you to come here?" Grumbled Riven once they got off his bike.

Musa, somehow, managed to drag him along for the little house-tour, using his vehicle as an excuse for getting there sooner. A part of her wanted to scream. How could she be so foolish? By making Riven come with her, she had exposed him to dangers neither of them knew about. The other part, though, was rather proud. If someone had to be there, it was _him_. He'd be the only one to understand all this mess. Perhaps not.

Maybe the fairy was trusting him too much. Maybe not. But who knew?

She'd have time to discover it, anyways.

"I already told you. I need to get as much information as possible for my assignment if I want to pass." Answered an exasperated Musa.

She knew he knew something was up. It wasn't like him to ask so many questions.

"And don't you think this is overstepping the boundaries? I mean, what could you possibly get from a burned house?" His steps matched hers in the small path that would lead them to their destination.

"I'll know when I get there." She looked up at him and was met with his unsure stare. "Look, don't worry about it. If it's really burnt then I won't find anything and we'll go back to Alfea, okay? Just let me have a peek first."

"But what's the point on going all the way, then? You saw the image. There was nothing left of that farm-house." He had an odd feeling about all this, and he wasn't liking it one bit. How could she be so unconcerned and unbothered by it?

Musa gave him a reassuring smile.

"I have a feeling."

* * *

The temperature seemed to have gone down when the musical fairy and the specialist arrived at the small field the house had. There was something dense in the air too that neither could explain, and the grey clouds that hovered over them weren't precisely a good omen.

The environment itself was dark and creepy, and Riven was all set and ready to turn around and go home. He'd usually be the first one for an adventure, but this was too much. He could feel a huge negative force coming from that house and was sure the girl beside him could feel it too.

Musa, who had her mouth hanging open, rubbed her arms to keep herself warm.

Speaking of which, it was there. All built and standing up, like it never collapsed. With its towering walls and spooky atmosphere, it looked like the house itself was daring them to enter it.

The fairy couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. Her heart was beating too fast for her liking and her hands started sweating the moment she felt a strong presence around the house.

 _Could it be Christine?_

"You're sure the house was crumbled down?" She murmured astounded.

"You saw it yourself. I don't know how this is possible." Riven was having a tough time processing it too.

This couldn't _even_ be possible.

His magenta eyes eyed the house warily. Was some witch behind all of this?

"I do." Her voice sounded sure and steady and Riven couldn't believe it. Here he was, second-guessing his actions meanwhile Musa was all calm and collected and ready to strike.

Sometimes she really surprised him. Everytime he thought he had her, she shocked him with something new.

"Really? Care to enlighten me, then?" He cocked his head to the side while crossing his broad arms.

"I will if we get out of this alive." Musa didn't know why the hell she said it, but she wasn't going to lie; much less to him.

Those words made him snap instantly. If there was a chance she could get hurt, he would make sure the fairy didn't get in. Even if that meant tying her to a tree or knocking her out. He wasn't taking chances on this one.

"What do you mean with that?" Always cautious, he waited for an answer.

"You'll see."

Shocked, he watched how the blue-haired fairy started walking to the building.

"Wait, are you really going in?"

He caught up with her. Musa turned around before a look of pure determination crossed her navy-blue eyes.

"Yes, I am. This is a once-in-life opportunity." She waved her hands as an attempt to explain how important this was to her. "I can't let it slide."

"You're aware this could be seen as housebreaking, right?" Riven pointed out, ready to persuade her into getting back.

"It can't be seen as such if the house doesn't have an owner." Came her smooth reply followed by a shrug.

"But it has."

"Yeah, one that died seventeen years ago. Listen, whether you like it or not, I'm going in. You can wait for me here if you want. But don't try to stop me."

A sigh left his lips when he saw how pigheaded she was, just like him. That's why, exasperated, Riven dropped the act.

"When did you become such a rebellious woman? I should be the one encouraging you, not the other way around." A small smile appeared on his lips, and Musa seemed to be entranced by them.

"I guess you just rubbed it off on me." She smirked cheekily.

"Very funny, pixie." He rolled his eyes to make his point, then looked between the house and his winged friend. "I still think it's a bad idea."

"Don't tell big, badass Riven is afraid of a haunted house?" Musa taunted with a teasing smirk.

"I'm not. But you'd be lying if you said you didn't feel something's off with this place."

Looking around her surroundings, Musa closed her eyes and breathed deeply. He was right. There was something in the air that made her want to run and hide under the covers, but she _needed_ answers.

"Yes, but―"

"Don't even bother." Placing both hands on her shoulders, Riven winked at her and pushed the girl in the direction of the awaiting house. "We'll just need to be careful."

* * *

Much like her dream, the house was covered in dust and ashes. The floor creaked when Musa and Riven reached the wide hall, startling them and bringing the couple closer.

If the outside was enough to give him the bad vibes, the inside completely caught the specialist out of guard. He didn't know what to expect but he was sure a burnt house didn't involve its walls standing up and much less brand-new furniture in it. Riven eyed the piano suspiciously, not noticing Musa making her way upstairs.

When the musical fairy put her right foot in the first wooden step, it crackled before breaking. She took it away before she could twist it and decided to get upstairs in all fours.

The magenta hero, who had been near, shook his head and walked over to Musa who was halfway through the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice surprised her and almost made her lose her balance.

She turned half of her body around and glared at him.

"Upstairs."

"Why?" His body was tensed up, ready to bring her down himself if the girl didn't move soon.

"Well, you've seen it. There's nothing down there. Maybe I'll find something on the second floor." She lied.

Musa had to go to the baby's room. And fast. She didn't know how the house was standing and neither if Christine was around. She needed to act quickly. For all she knew this could be some sort of trap or someone's trick, there wasn't time for walking on eggshells.

And the first thing she had to do was make Riven wait for her downstairs.

He couldn't know the truth, not now, at least. Musa had to do this on her own and to achieve it she needed him to believe that she knew nothing about what was going on. She couldn't put him in danger.

That, and that the fairy didn't want him pestering her about how she knew there was a room because she had already visited in dreams.

"It could be dangerous. What if the structure isn't strong enough and you end up falling?" His voice, even though steady, had a stern edge on it. He didn't want to carry an unconscious fairy back to Alfea if the situation could have been avoided.

"Then I will transform and fly to safety. Geez, can you relax now? There's no need to worry." Musa coaxed.

 _Since when is he so protective of me?_

"Fine. Whatever. Don't go looking for me when you get in trouble." Riven turned around and went back to the living room without directing a second glance to the perplexed, blue haired girl.

* * *

Musa arrived at the second floor breathless. Not because she crawled all the way to the top but because she didn't know what was waiting for her at the other side of the door.

Would Christine be there? Would the baby cry? Would she see them? Would the woman transform into that creature? Would it be like her dream and burn too?

She didn't have the answers. She didn't know if the room was also burnt or not. She didn't know what she'd do if the old hag came for her.

She. Didn't. Know.

And for someone who usually had all sorted out, this was being quite a tough thing for her to swallow.

Her heart beat faster and faster with every step she took to the knowing door. The fairy didn't rush it, and instead found some company in the long, picture-framed hallway. Brushing her hand slightly on the raw surface, she watched curiously all the pictures that were hung on the walls. All lined up, the frames were crusty and almost inexistent but some of the pictures still were visible for the eye.

Musa made out the silhouette of a dark-haired woman grinning widely at her belly and leaning onto someone. The part of the picture that showed the person holding her was burnt. But still, their love radiated through it.

More shots of a pregnant Christine or her and her husband could be seen. Near the end and close to the baby's room, the frames weren't as singed as before and proper images of the woman's daughter could be appreciated. She was tiny and had her little hands closed in fists. A little patch of black hair was at the top of her head, and her dark blue eyes reminded Musa of someone.

She reached the room and stared at the doorknob, that just like in her dream, seemed to be in a perfect state. Taking a deep breath to calm her rapid and frantic heart, the fairy twisted it before opening the door.

Her eyes were closed when her feet padded the wooden ground. Musa waited a few moments and stood at the entrance, listening for something that gave her a clue before she opened them.

A gasp left her lips.

Besides being in complete silence, the bedroom was just like the rest of the house; destroyed and scorched. The walls were black by the ashes and some of the painted paper was still glued to it. The floor was dusty, the toys and cushions completely burned and there was little left of the white curtains, which now had a black tint.

Musa walked further onto the dorm, the door still open, and swallowed hard when she saw the white, wooden crib broken in two and ruined.

The fairy didn't know why or how, but with a small glance around the room, she knew she had to go. Her place wasn't here, and something clicked on her mind, the whole weight of her actions downing on her at once.

A chill ran down her spine when she realized what she was doing.

She was in an old burnt house whose owners died in a fire, including a woman and her new born daughter. She invaded their space and was now standing in the very same place the little girl died. Not only that, but she dragged Riven along even when he opposed to it.

Was it strange that she now felt disgusted with herself? What kind of person would do this?

"For fuck's sake. What am I doing here?" She uttered angrily while pinching the bridge of her nose. "This isn't right. It'd be best if I just left."

She made a move for the door but with a sudden force, the window opened widely and a gust of wind made its way through the bedroom, making Musa fall to the ground. A yelp escaped her lips in pure astonishment as to what was happening before the door closed sonorously.

She got up, ran to the door and collapsed on her knees before it, banging loudly and shouting for help even knowing all her efforts were in vain. If the woman in black wanted her here, she'd make sure nobody could hear her screams.

Refusing to give up, she got up from the ground and searched for another exit, too busy to notice the pale, translucid woman that was approaching from behind.

* * *

Riven, who had been quite distracted by the old furniture and hung photos, heard her vivid scream echo around the four walls he seemed to be trapped in.

"Musa." Her name left his lips in a swift murmur before he became conscious that said scream had come from her.

Paralyzed for a second, the hero sprung to action without warning and ran upstairs, cursing loudly for not bringing his sable with him.

His thoughts ran wildly through his head; setting up tones of different situations with the girl injured, each one with a worse ending than the prior.

Something deep inside him twisted.

What if he didn't make it on time? What if she was severely wound up and couldn't move? Or worse, dead?

A shiver ran down his spine when he imagined Musa laying in a pool of blood. He discarded the thought instantly. That was _so_ not going to happen, not on his watch.

His feet ran down the corridor while his heartbeat increased and the adrenaline kicked in. Her screams were getting louder as he got closer to her.

With a swift kick, he opened the closed door at the end of the hallway and got ready for the worst of scenarios. Surveying the small bedroom, he saw Musa in her Winx form and pinned to one of the walls. Her face contorted in pain as her head craned up and her lips choked out a yelp of pain. It looked like some invisible force was holding her down in place, hurting her on the way.

Looking at his left, his face paled at the sight of a translucid woman dressed in black clothes and a dark aura surrounding her glaring at the musical fairy. She seemed to be the one holding her in place, as her pale arm was stretched to the girl and her hand was closed in a fist.

 _A ghost? But how? Could it be the house owner? I_ knew _they wouldn't like it if we entered without permission._

Those were some of Riven's thoughts that he quickly brushed off. He'd have time to rub on her face he _had_ been right. Or at least, he hoped so.

Musa twisted her face enough to see Riven standing there with an impassive expression on his face. She didn't know what sort of things could be running through his mind. He quickly locked eyes with her, and Musa could see he was clearly mocking her in his head now. The words " _I told you so_ " lingered in the air. Noticing that Christine hadn't seen him yet, she knew what she had to do.

"Riven…" The girl managed to strangle between heavy breaths. The force holding her still to the wall was of a great, dark power as the fairly could feel hers fading and her energy draining. "Leave."

But Riven didn't listen to her. In fact, he wasn't even sure he heard her. The specialist seemed to be frozen in place. Paralyzed. Unable to move. He didn't nor wanted to know if it was because of him or some sort of magic. The thing was that Musa was howling in pain thanks to some psycho hurting her and there she was, asking him to run while he could. Like she couldn't be saved. That worried Riven more than anything. In the brief time he had got to know her he discovered how much of a tough front she put up around the others. Just like him. He also learnt the hard way she hated showing weakness, so the fact that the fairy was in the verge of tears and urging him to run away meant serious business.

Taking a deep breath the magenta boy looked at his hands, his only weapon right now, and ran quickly to Musa, enclosing her hand in his and freeing her from the force that pinned her to the wall. She sagged onto him breathlessly, placing her other hand on his shoulders for support.

Christine, who was now aware of the other presence in the room thanks to Riven breaking the bond that linked Musa to her, growled furiously before enclosing herself in a dark, foggy cloud and coming out as the old hag that had been haunting Musa's dreams.

 _Now I know why she's called The Woman in Black._

Musa smiled a little at her uncalled thoughts. She needed to concentrate.

"Hey, are you okay?" She heard Riven whisper in her ear. The feeling gave her goosebumps, and she nodded her head weakly.

"We need to get out of here." She croaked out.

Riven didn't like seeing her like this. It was so out of character from her that it was unsettling.

"I know. But I don't know if your friend thinks the same." The boy looked up to the creature and tensed up. No training in Red Fountain had prepared him for this.

A ghost. He was supposed to fight a freaking ghost. How hilarious did that sound?

In pure, furious rage, the old hag screeched loudly before starting spinning around them. The noise made Musa flinch in pain and cover her sensitive ears. She kept on screeching and spinning until a pitch-black sphere formed in her outstretched palms and she threw it at them.

A dark, powerful wave send them flying back until they reached the stairs and were out of the door, landing first-face to the grass as a loud _boom_ echoed around the field, making the trees quiver and their bodies tremble from the hard impact.

It took a few minutes for the teenagers to recover from such a blow.

Riven was the first one to get up. Making sure he hadn't broken anything important or dislocated a shoulder, he offered Musa a hand and helped her up. She was back to her normal clothes and looked less exhausted, for which he was glad. Getting some dirt off her clothes, she was ready to thank him profusely and apologize at the same time when something stopped her.

Her mouth hung open in utter shock, and Riven mirrored her expression.

The house was gone. There were no signs of it. The only thing that remained in its place were some logs and burnt wood along the embers.

And they didn't know why.


	5. A Living Nightmare

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Winx Club, Iginio Straffi does._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 ― A Living Nightmare**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The ride to Alfea could be described as uncomfortable and silent. Neither of them knew what to say. Not that someone would be able to speak while riding a leva bike, but still, even before they started walking the path back to it both teenagers had remained silent.

When they had got up from the ground and realized the house was nowhere to be seen, Riven had taken Musa's hand and dragged her away from the field; she hadn't resisted, being too shocked to do anything more than stare blankly before her and answering with monosyllables.

It was fair to say that the experience had been quite traumatic.

Riven drove quickly through the highway, trying to keep his mind busy and occupied. He didn't want to think about anything connected to the damn house or the creature that attacked Musa. The hero didn't want to think how much trouble could've been avoided if he had listened to his instincts sooner and refused to go there in the first place. Instead, the specialist thought about the lecture he was going to give her when they arrived to Alfea.

Riven would give the fairy a piece of his mind for endangering herself like that.

Glancing quickly at one of the rear-view mirrors, he took a glimpse of said fairy. Musa was leaning her head on his shoulder and her arms were wrapped tightly around his torso, her fingers grasping the fabric of his t-shirt like he was going to disappear. His jaw tensed at the somber look her eyes had. It wasn't one Riven was used to.

Musa's mind wandered far away from here to her dreams, trying to find some sort of explanation to what they had witnessed. Had it been an illusion? A set-up? A spell? Or had that creature been real? The pain she was feeling sure felt real.

When she had tried opening the door and failed, a cold hand had been placed on one of her shoulders, making her scream in shock. She'd thought she was alone. After seeing Christine there she tried talking to her, but the woman refused to even acknowledge her presence and started throwing blows at her instead, which lead Musa to transform into her Winx and in the end, Christine pinning the fairy to the wall. All sorts of cuts and bruises had appeared on her arms and back, and she was sure a nasty bruise would be showing tomorrow. In the time Riven had needed to get to her, Musa had felt powerless and useless, and had been forced to experience all sort of mental pain. Her head had been about to explode, and now she was left alone to think about it.

 _That thing tried to kill me. Is that her mission? End me? Finish with me? But why? I haven't done anything to her. Will she be gone if she succeeds?_

The blue haired girl shuddered at the thought. She now regretted saying she wanted action to pass the time.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as Alfea got closer. She knew what awaited once her feet touched the ground. Riven would give her some shouting for this. That didn't mean she was looking forward to it, though. And she still owned him an apology and a _thank you_ for risking his life and saving hers.

The sun was setting and Musa hadn't realized how much time had passed since she left in morning until now. The wind caressed her hair and touched her skin, reassuring her she was still alive. Riven's bike came to a stop and in mere seconds both were off it and face to face. His mouth was already opened, a quick but firm sentence ready on his lips when something, or rather a scream, interrupted him.

Musa had a feeling she _knew_ from whom was the scream, and swallowed hard when she saw the scene unfolding before her eyes.

Christine was here, at Alfea, and was attacking her friends.

* * *

Flora and Tecna had spent all day in their respective rooms, the brunette watering her plants and daydreaming about a certain specialist meanwhile the pink-haired one typed like crazy on her computer, trying to stablish some sort of contact with her friends.

All had been in silence. Not a single thing out of place.

It was some time later when Flora had sensed something strange within the forest. She couldn't tell what but she got a funny feeling from some of the trees. They were nervous, anxious and in silence. The nature fairy shivered; there _was_ something wrong. The forest was too quiet and the atmosphere too heavy. Closing her eyes, the girl looked through her window and tried to decipher what was all about. Her eyes opened almost instantly, her instincts warning her about the possible arrival of someone dark.

Flora had fled her room quickly, running to Tecna's and knocking frantically on her door. She had opened her door with a bothered look that soon changed onto one of worry when she saw the distraught look her friend was carrying. It was quite disturbing to see her in such state because, usually, that meant things weren't looking good.

"What's wrong?" Tecna had asked before leading the brunette to the sofa.

"The forest, the plants… Someone's coming." Her eyes shined with unshed tears as she tried to compose herself. The headache that had come with it was getting stronger with every step the unknown force was taking towards the school.

Tecna's instincts had kicked over as she got up and started typing something on her small tablet.

"Should we warn Mrs. F?" She asked while casting worried glances to her nature-lover friend.

"Yes, that would be the best for all of us." Flora had tried to go for the door too, but almost collapsed on the floor as a rushing stream of pain shot through her whole body, shaking her to the core.

"Flora?! What the hell is going on?" She screamed surprisingly out of control. While Tecna was well-known for her calm manners and logical thinking, everything was thrown out of the window when it came down to her friends.

" _It's_ here." She whispered with her eyes closed.

"It?" The pink-haired fairy didn't understand anything.

"Yeah…" Flora closed her eyes faintly. " _Christine_ is here."

* * *

Flora was struggling to break free of Christine's deadly grip on her. The same black and powerful magic that had trapped Musa minutes ago against the wall was choking her now midair while draining her magic.

She started feeling weaker and weaker just like her musical friend had felt.

The brunette tried calling out to her plants for some help, but realized afterwards that the dark rings under Christine's fingers must be obstructing her powers. She mentally screamed and prepared herself for the worst, all the while praying for someone to come and help her.

Tecna was too busy fighting some dark, almost shadow-y creatures on her own to realize that her friend was in some real trouble.

They had appeared while she had ben throwing some virtual net on the ghostly woman, making her lose her balance and falling to the ground, which gave them the advantage to attack her first. She had been quickly to recover and give them a piece of her mind. Sadly, her blows didn't have the effect she had aimed for.

Instead, the creatures had grown bigger and probably stronger, which made her think that perhaps, with Bloom here, they would've been finished by now.

"No." She whispered to herself as she dodged another of their dark blows. "We'll get ourselves out of this mess! Right, Flora?" She ducked her head from another hit and looked around for her friends who was seemingly nowhere. "Flora?"

Turning around, a gasp left her pale lips at the sight of the pink fairy being trapped by some strange and dark spirals around her throat. She then saw Christine in all her ghostly form. Her face was contorted into a grimace of twisted and sadistic pain as her hands started to get into fists. Her clothes consisted in a basic, white, cotton dress with a worn-out belt around her waist and tousled hair. All the while shouting, " _where is she_?" almost manically.

"Bring me to her. I want to see her. Where is she?" Her voice sounded like a screech and made Tecna's ears scream in pain. Not even Musa's attempts at xylophone were that bad.

 _Musa… Where is she?_ The technological fairy hadn't given her a second thought until now, wishing she was here more than ever.

Flora's wails of pain grew stronger with every movement Christine made with her hands and Tecna was running out of coherent ideas. If she was ghost, there wasn't much it could be done.

A small crowd of younger and older students had gathered around the windows to see what was going on outside, and watched with both wonderstruck and terrified expressions how two fairies of the Winx Club were having their asses handed by some psycho ghost.

Marvelous.

Tecna also wondered why the hell Mrs. Faragonda was taking so long to help them. Couldn't she see they were into serious trouble? Oblivious to her surroundings for a split of a second, she didn't see the small torrent of dark magic that had creeped her from behind and was aiming for her shoulder blades.

"Tecna, watch out!" Flora warned scared. But it was too late, the spiral had already sprung out to her.

The purple fairy shut her eyes tightly, wishing the pain she was going to feel wouldn't last for long. But it didn't come. Instead, a familiar sound wave stopped it from getting to her.

"Sonic wave!" A voice shouted from the distance as a bigger and more purple wave erupted from it. Christine's dark power got cancelled by Musa's attack, making her roar in anger.

The musical fairy emerged from the smoke all clad in her sparkly, red dress, her long pigtails swaying side to side with her.

"Missed me?" She asked winking at Tecna, who was staring at her with her mouth open.

"Took you long enough, Muse!" She hissed, throwing another blow to the mass of dark magic that was prisoning Flora. The girl looked about to pass out. "Where the fuck were you?"

"That's a story for some other time, don't you think?" Her athletic body moved to the left in order to block out a hit aimed at her.

Her heart was beating faster and faster with each passing second. She couldn't believe it. After everything that had happened Christine still came back for more. And she was attacking her friends now! She needed to end up things quickly.

Because this time, things were personal.

* * *

Riven couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the same creature that had assaulted them was now in Alfea, hurting Musa and her pixie friends.

A snicker escaped from his lips at the nagging voice on the back of his mind that sounded very much like Musa scold at him for using the word _pixie_. He then sobered up at the scene unfolding before him.

 _Did she follow us? No. She arrived here earlier. But why?_

That _thing_ was attacking her… Acquaintance? Friend? Possible girlfriend? He didn't know, but that wasn't going to stop him from try to help them.

Even though the adrenaline was pulsing though his veins and waiting to be released like a spark of electricity, the magenta specialist knew better than to interfere with the Winx's work. Besides, if magic didn't work on _it_ because Christine was supposedly a ghost… How the hell were weapons going to be of use?

No, he needed to think in an alternative route. Obviously, there was something he could surely do…

"Mrs. Faragonda!" He mused. "She could help." Not missing a beat and glancing at Musa one last time, he made a run to the front stairs and to the principal's office.

* * *

Riven ran through the long and illuminated corridors trying to remember the way to Faragonda's office in hopes he wouldn't arrive too late.

Grinning when he saw he was reaching his destiny, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the doors were wide open and a blast of expansive, dark magic surfaced from the insides.

The magenta-haired boy breathed deeply and walked in, the hair on his neck standing up at the magnetic pull this kind of magic was giving him. His mind was repulsed by it, but his subconscious wondered if the remains of Darcy's spell still linked a part of him with the dark side of magic, making his body ache for it like a withdrawal drug symptom.

He hoped this was just a natural reaction and not something else.

Looking around, he saw Mrs. Faragonda being wrapped in the same spirals Flora was, and as if that wasn't enough, the look the old woman was sending him was no indication of something good. He reached out to her, but the moment his fingertips brushed the dark mass he was sent flying backwards until his back connected with the wall behind him.

"Fuck." He muttered angrily. "That went well."

He got up and walked to the woman again, this time without touching her and pacing around her form for one minute before trying to break the grip with his sword, only to be sent flying backwards again.

* * *

Musa was still fighting against a very pissed off Christine when Riven reached Faragonda's office, but she didn't know that. She just hoped he had gone somewhere safe, but knowing him, she was sure he would be soon battling along her.

That made her smile a little.

She and Tecna had managed to free Flora out of its grasp, and had been aiming for a triple convergence like the ones they practiced before. Unfortunately, it wasn't working out and the fairies were getting more tired with every new blow they sent. They needed to find a way to stop her from making more damage than what was already done.

The navy-blue haired fairy realized that almost all of Christine's attacks were being targeted at her, which made her shiver in anticipation of what could happen if this didn't end well.

Suddenly, everything slowed down for a second. The energy that was blasting from the translucid woman retracted back to her at full speed, almost knocking the Winx out of their feet, and the creatures disappeared within her.

"What the hell?" Musa mused.

Flora and Tecna were as surprised as their friend. Christine roared darkly, and Musa knew what was going to follow. She didn't like it one bit. Preparing herself for another round, she flew towards the sky as she watched the whole transformation again.

Black smoke surrounded her like a blanket, and Christine stopped being Christine, being replaced instead with the woman in black that had been tormenting her dreams every fucking night since her friends' departure. She gulped and closed her eyes briefly.

This was like hell all over again. Like a living nightmare. And she knew perfectly fine how her nightmares ended.

Concentrating all her power into the palms of her hands, she opened her ears to every possible sound: the chirping of birds, the wind moving slowly through the trees, frantic voices, beating hearts, heavy footsteps… Everything became morphed into one single ball of power capable of knocking down even the same Lord of the Shadows.

Or so she hoped.

Breathing heavily at the little time she had left before everything crumbled down, she joined both hands and chanted with all her strength the words that made the ball explode into the biggest sonic wave she had ever mastered

Everything shook for a minute, the sound bouncing up and down through the building and outskirts of Magix until the woman in black vanished with her black magic and the spell purified the atmosphere. Alfea trembled for another minute until the seismic movements stopped and so did Musa, who ran out of power and laid passed out on the ground.

* * *

When she woke up, five pair of eyes were staring down at her with worried expressions on their faces. She squinted her eyes at the intruding light of the windows and pressed her hand against her throbbing head, rubbing the spot next to her right temple.

She tried to move around, but was stopped when she realized a small form was curled up next to her. She was very tiny and had purple curls that framed her pale face, which had a heart shaped mark on the left cheek. Some of her hair was tied up in a neat, blue bow that matched her Victorian dress of the same color.

 _A pixie?_

Blinking slowly while trying to recompose her thoughts, something dawned on her.

"Wait, weren't you guys supposed to be on a life-threatening mission?" She pointed out, oblivious to the reason why she was in the medical wing of Alfea.

Stella clicked her tongue and flipped her blonde hair to the side with an airy touch.

"Don't you dare and change topics, young lady. You have some explaining to do."

* * *

 ** _Thanks for reading._ **


	6. Unmasking Christine

I'm _so sorry for the long wait. But, as I said at the beginning, I will finish this story no matter what._

 _I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading!_

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the Winx Club, Iginio Straffi does.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 ― Unmasking Christine**

.

.

.

Musa grimaced at her friend's words, knowing they wouldn't stop bugging her until she had explained them everything. If she only knew where to start...

Her eyes looked around the sterile and white room and shuddered when she realized she wasn't in hers.

"Why am I here? What happened?" Her mind was blurry from the fall and didn't remember more than having Christine stepping Alfea grounds and attacking them. "Wait, Flora and Tecna are…"

"We're all right." The pink haired fairy cut her off before her heart monitor could speed up. "But your sonic blast was so powerful that you passed out after freeing all that power. It was impressive, Musa. I don't know how you did it, but that made the creature go away for sure."

"I did… What?" She didn't recall throwing any sonic blast, she only remembered feeling powerful and having every fiber of her body tingle with something inexplicably. That was it.

"We were hoping you could answer that," Bloom answered unsurely. "You don't remember anything?"

"Should we call Ophelia?" Asked Flora worriedly. "Maybe she can help you…" She trailed off, already on cue to go and find the elderly woman in the hallways.

"No, no. I'm…" Musa searched for the correct word and stopped her friend. "Alive. I'm fine. I only have a headache now. It's okay. I'm sure my memory will come back on its own."

The musical fairy propped herself on the small bed and stared at her friends. They seemed fine overall, but the worried glances they were throwing at her from time to time were unnerving.

Why did she have the feeling of being left out? Something definitely happened, and her friends weren't telling her.

"So…" She sighed and brought the tiny little pixie to her lap. "How did the mission go?"

She hoped that by changing the topic they wouldn't bother her with questions. She still needed time to accept everything that happened.

Stella, being her, couldn't stop herself from snapping.

"All was going fine until we came back and Mrs. Faragonda told us you were in here. Seriously, girl, when will you and danger part ways?" Her words made the rest of the Winx laugh a little. That was just her way of saying she had been scared of losing her.

"Missed you too, Stel. Glad to have you as a friend." She joked with a small smile. "But really, how did it go? I'm stuck in here until Ophelia comes and releases me, so start spilling."

Layla perked up at the question and filled her in with all the details after making sure she really was fine. She may don't know her well, but Musa and the other girls helped her when no one did, and for that she was grateful.

"So, this is my pixie?" She asked once the story was told. Her eyes traveled to her lap where Tune was sleeping soundly and cuddling as best as she could with her. Musa thought it would have been weird, but found herself enjoying her company.

"Yeah. You could say you're bonded now." Layla explained to her. Suddenly, Tune woke up and flew with her tiny wings until she was eye to eye with Musa.

"Hello, I'm Tune, the pixie of manners." Her sweet voice made the blue-eyed girl smile. "May I say it's glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Hi, I'm Musa, fairy of music." She greeted in return. "I'm as good as I can be, thank you."

"Yes, yes, enough with introductions, girls." Interrupted Stella with her lips pursed. "Don't you think you'll get away from this one, Musa. You really owe us an explanation." The other girls nodded their head in unison.

"We only want to help you." Added Bloom with a tentative smile.

Said girl kept silent as she fixed her gaze on her hands and fidgeted with her fingers. What was she supposed to tell them? That a crazy ghost has decided to mess up with her and follow her through hell and back? That she visited the ghost's old house and was almost choked to death? That Christine was after them?

No. It was too surreal even for her.

Musa needed to gather her thoughts and ideas first.

"I think," She started slowly. "That it would be best if Mrs. Faragonda was here. I'm sure she would like to hear it too."

She knew the conversation was inescapable, but she got herself a few hours more to think about what version she was going to tell and was content with it. For now, that was enough.

"But she will be busy until noon." Flora piped in. "We need to start figuring things out as quickly as possible."

"It's okay," Interjected Bloom. "Musa will tell us on her own time. Rushing her won't be of any good if she isn't comfortable."

Musa wanted to hug her red-haired friend badly but decided that risking hurting herself with any of the tubes attached to her veins wasn't worth it. Instead, she grinned at her and mouthed a _'thank-you_.'

"As you wish." Conceded her blonde friend. "But have in mind that all of us have lots of questions that will need to be answered."

"I promise I will tell you everything, Stella. I just need some time to think things through."

It was only then she realized that, eventually, she would have to answer to Riven too.

* * *

A few hours had passed since the Winx left Musa to gather up her thoughts so she could tell them the whole story and still, she wasn't able to recall everything without getting a headache. Why was it so difficult to understand? Something big must be happening for sure, but why weren't words to describe it? In her dreams, it was more much easier.

The fairy was dreading the moment her friends would come back with Mrs. Faragonda. What was she supposed to tell the elderly woman? That she had dreamed about a woman and her baby dying in a fire? That without knowing its truth she went all the way to investigate the accident and even dragged Riven into all this mess?

Yeah, epic without a doubt. But she wasn't getting herself free from punishment, or at least that's what she thought.

"What if I just sneak out?" She mused out loud. That way she wouldn't have to face them.

"That wouldn't be very nice, would be?" Tune chastised from her little bed next to Musa. "Your friends are worried about you. They should have the chance to help you."

"You're right," The blue-haired girl sighed. "But believe me, everything seems so unreal that I fear I might be going insane."

"Says the lady with magic powers." Tune sent her a look that made Musa smile.

Her pixie was right. They had faced multiple obstacles stranger than Christine. Everything should be fine in the end.

A knock on the door startled her. The time has come. Swallowing hard, she was mentally prepared for her interrogatory, but she wasn't ready to see the magenta-haired specialist at the other side of the door. His eyes were impassive, not a single muscle out of place. If she had to bet, Musa would say Riven was angry— because that's how he was half of the time.

"Hi." Her voice sounded small in comparison to how loud she usually was, but she was tongue-tied. Musa didn't know how to act when he was around, mostly because Riven was an enigma to her. An enigma that sometimes she could decipher, but not today. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes wandered to his body and searched for injuries while trying not to be obvious she was also checking him out, at the same time Riven decided to speak up.

"Are you? That thing looked dangerous and you had a tough fall." He didn't want to tell her how the dark magic had consumed her headmistress and how she managed to dissuade it. He believed it was too soon.

Riven had a thousand questions on swirling on his mind but mostly, he wanted to yell at her for her recklessness. How could she endanger herself like that? He knew the Winx were suicidal, but he never thought Musa would be one.

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem so."

"Right," She breathed in defeat. "I'll be fine. What happened back there… I don't think it will happen again."

"Why not?"

Musa didn't know why she was trusting Riven with her silly theories— perhaps because he had been with her when Christine attacked for the first time, perhaps because deep down she knew he wouldn't laugh at her, but she was glad he wasn't judging her sayings.

"It didn't look like an _I'm-gonna-come-back_ attack." She told him wide-eyed. "But more like…"

"A warning attack?" Riven finished for her.

"Exactly." She murmured in awe. Musa was having a hard time believing they were having a conversation without arguing and that they were so in synch.

"So, what do you think it's going to be her next move?"

"I don't know. I'm not even aware of what she's trying to do." She buried her face in her hands and released a sighed that had been hidden for a long time. A sigh that revealed anxiety and fear and impotence altogether. Did they really have a chance against a ghost?

Rough fingers caressed the right side of her face, and both marveled at how an insignificant touch could have such intense reactions within them. Musa raised her head and met a pair of violet eyes that, even though they showed awkwardness, also had concern written over them. Riven could be multiple things— most of them awful, but she knew he had a soft spot for some people and that he cared way more than he would like to.

Without any of them noticing, they had been drawing near each other to the point where their knees were touching and their foreheads were only inches apart. Riven's hand ended up cupping her cheek and as he tilted his head to the side, Musa's breath hitched in unison with her heartbeat.

 _This couldn't be happening right now. Or yes?_

She couldn't think straight with those eyes looking at her with such determination.

"What is taking you so long?" Trailed a voice from the door, breaking the atmosphere and for sure whatever was to happen next. Timmy entered the room not paying attention to the couple but when he did, his cheeks turned deep red in embarrassment. "Damn, I'm sorry guys. I just… Mrs. Faragonda says…" He stuttered the words without making eye contact with them. "You should be coming now. We're waiting."

It didn't take him long before closing the door and sprinting towards the headmistress' office.

Upon hearing his words, Musa furrowed her eyebrows.

"You're all here?" She questioned with a layer of apprehension in her voice.

"Yeah," Riven looked uncomfortable and started rubbing the back of his neck in hopes she wasn't about to make a fuss. "I was supposed to come and get you…"

To his surprise, she just shuddered.

"I don't want all of you watching me." Adverting her gaze to the window, she felt a pressure on her hand. Riven has fooled everyone, she thought. He knew how to make her feel better. She squeezed it back with a small smile on her lips.

"Let's go."

"It will be okay, you know?" He whispered close to her ear. "We're tough people."

* * *

After telling her friends, the Pixies, and Mrs. Faragonda the whole story, Musa felt more relieved than before. At least she wouldn't have the need to hide it anymore. She felt every pair of eyes staring at her with pity and sympathy for everything she had had to put up with on her own.

While explaining it, she had omitted the part where Riven accompanied her to the house in case he got in trouble.

"Do you know what kind of magic is it?" Bloom asked the headmistress with a glint in her eyes.

"Not yet, my dear." The woman replied with concern. "I have my conjectures, but I'm not sure."

"Could it be the Trix again with one of their tricks?" Stella speculated with disdain clear in her amber eyes.

"No," Riven spoke up expressionless. "Their magic isn't as strong as this one. It's a different pull."

"How would you know?" The blonde snapped at him. Stella was still annoyed with Riven, but he didn't mind.

"Because I was there when it happened." He simply answered.

"And what were you doing at Alfea?"

Musa's heart speed up at the thought of having to confess in front of everyone that they had been together. Would they freak out?

"That's none of your business."

"Well, I think it is. Were you with Musa?"

Riven had taken a fighting stance and was ready to start a fight with the sun fairy, but Brandon intervened before it could escalate.

"I think I found it." A small voice said. Digit, Tecna's pixie, showed everyone a hologram of a creature similar to Christine. "It's a Banshee. Originally, a banshee was female spirit who heralded the death of a family member by wailing or shrieking. But because of what you said, I think this one is a little bit different. According to the information, both the woman and her daughter died in a fire, but she's still here singing a lullaby and screeching every time you come near her."

"Yeah…" Musa answered unsure of where the little thing was going.

"And you also said it happened the same day you were born, correct?" The fairy nodded and shivered. "Well, my conclusion is that this woman thinks her daughter is living inside you and wants to free her from your body."

"And how does she expect to do it?" Bloom asked lost for words.

"You said she shrieked when a family member was about to die…" Flora breathed shaken up.

Realization dawned on them quickly after those words and they were left speechless. Christine wasn't trying to kill her, she was just waiting for the right time to welcome her daughter's soul. She had been warning her about what was to come.

"I'm going to die?" Musa squawked with trembling hands.

"Of course not."

"No."

The Winx Club said in a chorus. They hadn't come from hell and back to just let her friend surrender to death so quickly.

"We'll find a way."

Musa couldn't hear what her friends were saying because she was already in some other place. One where not even her magic friends could free her from.


End file.
